Title: Local governance and livelihood diversification in
Authors: coastal tourism development: A quantitative study of community-based marine economy in Vietnam
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 31-43
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
Coastal community-based tourism has emerged as a strategic approach to promoting sustainable development and livelihood improvement in marine-dependent regions. However, the extent to which local governance and community participation contribute to livelihood diversification and household economic well-being remains underexplored, particularly in developing coastal economies. Grounded in the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, this study examines the relationships among local government support, community participation in decision-making, access to livelihood assets, livelihood diversification, and household economic well-being in coastal Vietnam. Data were collected from 307 coastal households engaged in diverse livelihood activities, including fishing, tourism services, and mixed occupations. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses, while group differences were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA. The empirical results reveal that local government support, community participation, and access to livelihood assets all have significant positive effects on livelihood diversification. In turn, livelihood diversification significantly enhances household economic well-being and serves as a key mediating mechanism linking governance and resource access to welfare outcomes. The findings further indicate that while fishing experience and primary occupation significantly influence household economic well-being, household size shows no statistically significant effect. These results highlight the critical role of institutional support and participatory governance in enabling households to transition from traditional fisheries to diversified livelihood strategies. The study contributes to the literature by extending the Sustainable Livelihood Framework within the context of coastal community-based tourism and by empirically demonstrating the central role of livelihood diversification as a pathway to improved economic resilience. Policy implications emphasize the need for strengthening local governance, enhancing community participation, and improving access to livelihood assets to foster sustainable coastal development.